Dear Parent/Guardian:
Children need healthy meals to learn. East Penn School District offers healthy meals every school day. Breakfast is available at no charge to students. Lunch costs $2.90 for Elementary and $3.00 for Secondary. Your child(ren) may qualify for free meals or for reduced price meals.
During the 2025-2026 School Year, all schools participating in the School Breakfast Program (SBP) are to provide free breakfasts for all enrolled students. Additionally, students identified as eligible for reduced-price lunches through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) will not be charged for their meals.
This packet includes an application for free and reduced price meal benefits, and a set of detailed instructions. Below are some common questions and answers to help you with the application process.
If you have received a NOTICE OF DIRECT CERTIFICATION letter for free meals, do not complete the application. But do let the school know if any children in your household are not listed in the NOTICE OF DIRECT CERTIFICATION letter you received.
1. WHO CAN GET FREE OR REDUCED PRICE MEALS OR SPECIAL MILK?
- All children in households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (formerly the Food Stamp Program) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits are eligible for free meals.
- Foster children who are under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court are eligible for free meals.
- Children participating in their school’s Head Start program are eligible for free meals.
- Children who meet the definition of homeless, runaway, or migrant are eligible for free meals.
- Children may receive free or reduced price meals if your household’s income is within the limits on the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines. Your children may qualify for free or reduced price meals if your household income falls at or below the limits on this chart
INCOME ELIGIBILITY REDUCED PRICE GUIDELINES JULY 1, 2025 – JUNE 30, 2026
| Family Size | Annual | Monthly | Twice Per Month | Every Two Weeks | Weekly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $28,953 | $2,413 | $1,207 | $1,114 | $557 |
| 2 | $39,128 | $3,261 | $1,631 | $1,505 | $753 |
| 3 | $49,303 | $4,109 | $2,055 | $1,897 | $949 |
| 4 | $59,478 | $4,957 | $2,479 | $2,288 | $1,144 |
| 5 | $69,653 | $5,805 | $2,903 | $2,679 | $1,340 |
| 6 | $79,828 | $6,653 | $3,327 | $3,071 | $1,536 |
| 7 | $90,003 | $7,501 | $3,751 | $3,462 | $1,731 |
| 8 | $100,178 | $8,349 | $4,175 | $3,853 | $1,927 |
| Each additional family member add: | +$10,175 | +$848 | +$424 | +$392 | +$196 |
Visit our Instructions for Applying for Free and Reduced Lunch Page
2. HOW DO I KNOW IF MY CHILDREN QUALIFY AS HOMELESS, MIGRANT, OR RUNAWAY?
Do the members of your household lack a permanent address? Are you staying together in a shelter, hotel, or other temporary housing arrangement? Does your family relocate on a seasonal basis? Are any children living with you who have chosen to leave their prior family or household? If you believe children in your household meet these descriptions and haven’t been told your children will get free meals, call or email Daniel Brown at dmbrown@eastpennsd.org or 610-966-8441.
3. DO I NEED TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION FOR EACH CHILD? No. Use one Free and Reduced Price School Meals Application for all students in your household. We cannot approve an application that is not complete, so be sure to fill out all required information. You may request a paper application from the school at any time. Return the completed application to: Lisa Boland, 800 Pine St., Emmaus, PA 18049.
4. SHOULD I FILL OUT AN APPLICATION IF I RECEIVED A LETTER THIS SCHOOL YEAR SAYING MY CHILDREN ARE ALREADY APPROVED FOR FREE MEALS? No, but read the letter you received carefully and follow the instructions. If any children in your household were missing from your eligibility notification letter, contact Lisa Boland at lboland@eastpennsd.org or 610-966-8309 immediately.
5. CAN I APPLY ONLINE? Yes! You are encouraged to complete an online application instead of a paper application if you are able. The online application has the same requirements and will ask you for the same information as the paper application. Visit https://www.schoolcafe.com/EastPennSD or visit the PA Department of Human Services website at www.compass.dhs.pa.gov to begin or to learn more about the online application process. Contact Lisa Boland at lboland@eastpennsd.org or 610-966-8309 if you have any questions about the online application.
6. MY CHILD’S APPLICATION WAS APPROVED LAST YEAR. DO I NEED TO FILL OUT A NEW ONE? Yes. Your child’s application is only
good for that school year and for the first 30 operating school days of this school year, through October 8, 2025. You must send in a new application unless the school told you that your child is eligible for the new school year.
7. I GET WIC. CAN MY CHILDREN GET FREE MEALS? Children in households participating in WIC may be eligible for free or reduced price meals. Send an application.
8. WILL THE INFORMATION I GIVE BE CHECKED? Yes. We may also ask you to send written proof of the household income you report.
9. IF I DON’T QUALIFY NOW, MAY I APPLY LATER? Yes, you may apply at any time during the school year. For example, children with a parent or guardian who become unemployed may become eligible for free and/or reduced price meals if the household income drops below the income limit.
10. WHAT IF I DISAGREE WITH THE SCHOOL’S DECISION ABOUT MY APPLICATION? You should talk to school officials. You also may ask for a hearing by calling or writing to: Business Office of Food Service at 800 Pine St., Emmaus, PA 18049 or 610-966-8300.
11. MAY I APPLY IF SOMEONE IN MY HOUSEHOLD IS NOT A U.S. CITIZEN? Yes. You, your children, or other household members do not have to be U.S. citizens to apply for free or reduced price meals.
12. WHAT IF MY INCOME IS NOT ALWAYS THE SAME? List the amount that you normally receive. For example, if you normally make $1000 each month, but you missed some work last month and only made $900, put down that you made $1000 per month. If you normally get overtime, include it, but do not include it if you only work overtime sometimes. If you have lost a job or had your hours or wages reduced, use your current income.
13. WHAT IF SOME HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS HAVE NO INCOME TO REPORT? Household members may not receive some types of income we ask you to report on the application or may not receive income at all. Whenever this happens, write a 0 in the field. However, if any income fields are left empty or blank, those will also be counted as zero. Be careful when leaving income fields blank, as we will assume you meant to do so.
14. WE ARE IN THE MILITARY. DO WE REPORT OUR INCOME DIFFERENTLY? Your basic pay and cash bonus must be reported as income. If you get any cash value allowances for off-base housing, food, or clothing, or receive Family Subsistence Supplemental Allowance payments, it must also be included as income. However, if your housing is part of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative, do not include your housing allowance as income. Any additional combat pay resulting from deployment is also excluded from income.
15. WHAT IF THERE ISN’T ENOUGH SPACE ON THE APPLICATION FOR MY FAMILY? List any additional household members on a separate piece of paper and attach it to your application. Contact Lisa Boland, 800 Pine St., Emmaus, PA 18049, 610-966-8309 to receive a second application.
16. MY FAMILY NEEDS MORE HELP. ARE THERE OTHER PROGRAMS WE MIGHT APPLY FOR? To find out how to apply for SNAP or other assistance benefits, visit www.compass.dhs.pa.gov, contact your local county assistance office, or call 1-800-692-7462.
If you have other questions or need help, call 610-966-8309.
Sincerely,
Business Office of Food Service